As the Milwaukee Bucks’ search for a head coach progresses, the Behind the Buck Pass staff got together to share their thoughts on how it’s gone so far.
The Milwaukee Bucks promised an extensive coaching search once the team’s season came to an end, and it seems like that’s exactly what they’re delivering.
We’re now approaching close to a week since the reports first emerged of potential candidates, and with a list of eight coaches set to be interviewed, it seems set to run for another week or so still.
Along with an interview for Joe Prunty, Mike Budenholzer, Becky Hammon, James Borrego, Monty Williams and David Blatt will all be interviewed this week, joining Ettore Messina and Steve Clifford among coaches who have already had a sit down with Milwaukee’s decision-makers.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
Perhaps more candidates could still emerge too, with second round playoff series all wrapping up or likely coming close to that point.
With all of that going on, it seems like a perfect time to check the temperature on how the search is being perceived so far, and to remind ourselves of what the Bucks need to look for in a new head coach.
To do just that, I was joined by Jordan Treske, Matt Henriksen, Ben Sewell, Bob Polglaze and Leander Wallace for a coaching themed edition of the Behind the Buck Pass roundtable.
1. What would be your top priority in assessing candidates if you were responsible for finding the Bucks’ next head coach?
Matt Henriksen (@matthenriksen): It’s very hard to put a single characteristic on top, considering the Bucks have lacked in so many areas associated with good coaching. I guess what I want most is a coach who manages to get the whole roster engaged and feeling good about playing with each other. I want to see attention to detail, regardless of the schemes the Bucks end up using, from the starters to the end of the bench. I just think it’s hard to get that unless the players are happy and enthusiastic, so above all I’d like a certain personality that’s very optimistic and inclusive.
Ben Sewell (@pencil2292): What are your plans for Giannis Antetokounmpo and how can you make him work with the current roster. It’s as simple as that. The Bucks have invested heavily (maybe too much) in this current roster and as a result, there is not a lot of room to wriggle at this stage. Giannis is also out of contract in three years time, meaning that Milwaukee has three years to prove to him they can win. Ownership shouldn’t settle until they find a candidate that can find a way to win with Giannis and this current squad.
Bob Polglaze (@Bob Polglaze): My top priority would be a candidate that could maximize the offensive talent on the roster, specifically Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis has taken massive steps in each of the last two years, and helped lead the Bucks to the seventh best offense in the NBA this year while working extremely hard for everything. I think an offensive system that makes everything a little easier for him while also helping the players around him gets the Bucks to a top-five offense, which is their most clear path to a top-tier ranking in either offense or defense.
Jordan Treske (@JordanTreske): As Matt started off saying, it’s hard to prioritize just one characteristic and/or area that needs addressing from any coaching candidate. With that said, I’ve been leaning toward someone who has a rich pedigree of development/helping mold role players into useful contributors.
Perhaps that’s a product of watching the Boston Celtics in this year’s playoffs or the times catching the Toronto Raptors during the regular season, but with the Bucks needing to maximize this window under Giannis, they’re in need of molding inexperienced or inconsistent players into reliable contributors around their superstar. With the cap crunch they’re dealing with this summer as Ben alluded to, improvement from within will be absolutely vital in order to forge out a path toward consistency and so on.
Leander Wallace (@LeanderWallace): My top priority would be finding someone who has an offensive and defensive scheme that checks out in the modern NBA and has proven to be able to develop talent.
Adam McGee (@AdamMcGee11): Considering where the Bucks have come from, a coach with the basketball IQ and self-awareness to not only adapt, but to know when to adapt would be my top priority.
The Bucks obviously need a coach who can come in and overhaul their system on both ends of the floor, but I’d be wary of placing too much emphasis on the philosophies of any one candidate. The game changes, opposing teams adjust, and my hope is the Bucks will have a coach who won’t just make great initial adjustments to open up next season, but will also be able to beat the counters that are thrown at them as time goes on.
2. How much do you think the Bucks could realistically improve with the addition of a new head coach, without making any major structural changes to the current roster?
MH: With this roster, if things go well I think they can achieve 8-10 more wins, and a top-five seed in the East. I think the offense will come easier and the defense will be a little better. They’ll still have rebounding issues and will be outclassed by the league’s top teams. Barring changes by the other teams, I don’t think that a coaching change will get the Bucks past the Celtics, Sixers, Raptors, and Cavs on paper. It’s a new landscape in the East, and I think the Bucks should be proud to hang with those teams in the regular season. When it gets to the playoffs they’ll have a shot against anybody.
BS: As proved by the Bucks’ first round exit to the under-strength Boston Celtics, a good coach can be the difference between winning and losing in this league. The Celtics were without two All-Stars and still beat a fully healthy Bucks team, with arguably a top-5 player in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Quite simply, Brad Stevens got absolutely every drop he could out of his players while Joe Prunty struggled to match that output all series. I’m not saying the next coach Milwaukee hires has to be as good as Stevens, but the sky’s the limit for the Bucks with a player like Giannis on their roster. If they nail the next coach, a championship could be on the cards in the future.
BP: I think with some improved coaching, a 50-win season could be in play and would be a perfect goal for the next season. I’m expecting the next coach to install an actual offensive system and combine that with a logical defense. Along with some internal roster improvement and better late-game management, 50 wins, a top-four seed, and (finally) a first-round victory would all be manageable goals.
JT: As we saw in this year’s playoffs, the top end of the roster wasn’t really the problem for the Bucks. Well, outside of Eric Bledsoe opting to get into the strangest petty war at the most inopportune time. Through all of the inconsistencies and the depth issues they experienced this year, the Bucks making something of a seven-game series, granted against a shorthanded Celtics team, shows they’re knocking on the door to something. What kind of door that is, what’s behind that door and why it’s painted a strange fuchsia color is another question entirely.
LW: I think the improvement will be huge. Even if that is only a 5-6 game difference in the regular season. The playoffs is where it will be most noticeable.
AM: The reality is the Bucks have been playing at a disadvantage for a couple of years now. Giannis Antetokounmpo is already one of the most dominant players in the NBA and yet the Bucks haven’t been able to take full advantage.
There’s a significant jump there for the taking if the Bucks can find a coach capable of solidifying things on both ends, while also helping to build a resilience and a mindset that can lead to more consistency over the course of 82 games.
3. What’s your impression of the reported search so far? Have you been encouraged or discouraged by the process and/or the candidates?
MH: It’s been going well! Despite early rumors, they have not interviewed any coaches that I would consider to be terrible. It’s kind of funny that the guy they could have slotted in when Kidd was fired (Fizdale) was taken off the market right before the Bucks started interviewing candidates. That’s a shame, but I love their remaining options. In Messina they’ve got an extremely experienced coach that is still kind of an unknown. Budenholzer is a straight up great coach that should not be available right now. Monty Williams would be an amazing players’ coach. When it comes to Becky Hammon, I personally consider the fact that she is a woman to be part of her list of qualifications. In any other industry you’d be crazy to have a team comprised solely of men trying to get anything done. Does adding that to her traditional coaching resume get her in the mix to land the job? I’m not sure, but the fact that it’s in play is very exciting.
BS: I have put zero stock in what’s currently being reported at this stage. It’s crazy season in the NBA and rumors are flying around all over the league. Names like Mike Budenholzer and Becky Hammon would excite me as candidates however. Budenholzer is a proven commodity in this league and took the Hawks to 60 wins only a few seasons ago. While Hammon would be exciting as the first female head coach ever in the NBA. Not only would it bring a lot of national coverage to Milwaukee, but Hammon would have every motivation in the world to succeed and break the notion that the NBA coaching world is for males only. Being under Pop’s system in San Antonio for the past few years also helps her case.
BP: I went into the search expecting the worst, but after the initial list and subsequent scheduled assistant interviews, I am feeling a little better about the names. While I do think there are a few names on the list that would not excite me in the least, the majority of candidates would be a good choice and I am encouraged with the process. I would be willing to wager that ownership went into the search with a few favorites in mind, so the assistants on the list are likely getting interviews for the sake of due diligence. Although skepticism would be understood, I think it would be difficult to be anything but encouraged by the process at the moment.
JT: For any decision the Bucks have to make of this gravity, I, like many fans and followers of this team, dread what’s to come of the process and the ultimate result of it all. While there’s still plenty of time to feel that dread, I think the names that have been attached to the search have been reassuring across many fronts.
Aside from a few notable candidates, it certainly leans more on the experienced side and although it might not please those who are looking for someone outside of the box/are looking to step foot in their first head coaching job, there’s nothing wrong with looking at someone who has a proven track record such as Mike Budenholzer. There is a benefit to putting your trust into someone who you know has been able to do the job adequately before and that in itself would be a big upgrade from the regime we’re moving on from.
LW: I have been very encouraged. The Bucks seem to have a wide search and are determined to get the right coach. However, nearly every name I have heard barring one or two have been candidates that I at least respect as a coach somewhat.
AM: Following on from last summer, there was good reason for Bucks fans to have a sense of trepidation heading into this process. But so far it seems as if the search has been executed about as well as you’d expect from any franchise in the league.
Could they interview some more fresh blood than what’s necessarily been reported so far? Sure, and there’s still time for that to come to pass. As it stands, though, the candidates that are being considered have been a logical mix, with a widely varying range of skills. That’s what everyone would have hoped for when an extensive search was promised back in January.
4. Who would be your pick to get the job and what do you think they could offer the Bucks?
MH: I’d go with Budenholzer. It’s a pretty special opportunity to get a shot at a coach who has had proven success and also specializes in player development. Bud has a track record in both of those areas, and I think it’s a great fit. He would help the Bucks win out of the gate, and I also think in the short term he’ll be the guy with the best chance to get the most out of guys like Thon Maker, Sterling Brown, and D.J. Wilson.
BS: Budenholzer is my favorite of all the candidates. Fizdale provided some stiff competition but since his hiring in New York, Budenholzer has become the consensus pick in my opinion. He is a proven commodity and for a team that’s on the clock to prove to their superstar that he should re-sign with Milwaukee, the sure thing signing is the safest route to take. This is not to say other coaches on the market currently won’t turn out better. There may well be better options than Budenholzer, but there are also definitely worse options and this is not a time to start playing with fire.
BP: My pick would be Nick Nurse. I understand that this might be a bad time to stand up for someone on Toronto’s staff, but I am just way too impressed with the changes he made to their offense this year. The Bucks could use some elements of modern basketball injected into their offense, and Nurse was at least partly responsible for quickly turning around a team (and two star players) that had done things the old way for a long time. Toronto’s bench is also clearly better than Milwaukee’s, but there is also a track record for that staff (Nurse included) maximizing limited players and taking advantage of what they can do well.
JT: I’m quite open to many of the names we’ve seen associated with the job and would be interested in some who, at this time of writing, have made the rounds for other openings around the league that haven’t yet for the Bucks. But as I’ve not so hidden at this point, I’m backing Mike Budenholzer for my pick as the Bucks’ next head coach.
Simply put, he checks many boxes of what is essential for the Bucks to reshape their present and future based on what he accomplished over his five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Of course, there’s no guarantee that will ensure success with the Bucks or in any of his next stops in the future should he not get the job, but the overall package he brings would address many of the concerns the Bucks are dealing with at the moment.
LW: Chris Finch. The Bucks were actually a good offensive team last year if you go by rating, but I think Milwaukee could be an elite offensive team with a great offensive coach. The Bucks half court sets often left a lot to be desired, and Giannis Antetokounmpo often found himself with the ball in a bad position with the shot clock running down. Finch has done wonders for the Pelicans offense and Anthony Davis, and I think he could do the same for the Bucks. He also has a good record for developing talent. I would like to hear his answers to questions about his defensive scheme as a head coach, but he is well respected around the league, and he will be a head coach somewhere soon.
AM: At this point it’s no surprise for me to say this, but I’d hire Mike Budenholzer. He proved himself to be one of the league’s best coaches in his time with the Hawks, and he’s still only relatively fresh from a long-time role as a key voice on Gregg Popovich’s bench in San Antonio.
Budenholzer has consistently coached his teams up to surpass expectations or any perceived talent limitations. He’s had success with both offensive minded teams and defensive minded teams. He has a track record of constructing a great staff and working alongside them to do some of the best development work of any coach in the NBA. He’s tweaked and even overhauled his style to suit his players. And he’s done this without ever having a player as good as Giannis.
I kind of understand why some people are trying to overthink this, but Bud is the guy.
5. Who do you think will actually be hired as Milwaukee’s next head coach?
MH: In a twist, I think somebody on the Bucks’ side gets turned off by Bud during the interview process. Perhaps it will be the opposite, and Bud will decide he doesn’t like somebody with the Bucks. I just can’t see it going down so simply that the Bucks would just go ahead and make the obvious choice by going with Budenholzer. Something weird is going to happen. The good news is I think the Bucks end up hiring either Toronto’s Nick Nurse or New Orleans’ Chris Finch, who are the shiny new toys about to hit the market. They’d be excellent hires as well.
BS: As a general rule of thumb, what I want the Bucks to do and what they actually do are two very different things. As stated above, I think Budenholzer would be an ideal fit for what Milwaukee need right now. I would also be happy with Hammon for the record. What they actually do however is anyone’s guess as I have zero faith in ownership after last years general manager fiasco. I thought for sure Justin Zanik would step straight into the GM role after John Hammond left for Orlando last offseason. Lo and behold, Milwaukee then spent the next few weeks interviewing everyone they could find before promoting their very own Director of Basketball Operations, Jon Horst. In summary, I’d like to think Budenholzer is the go-to in this instance but in times of need, we all must remember the number one rule in Milwaukee fandom. Never trust the Bucks.
BP: [Imagine the longest, loudest sigh humanly possible] Monty Williams. Never. Trust. The. Bucks.
JT: (looks to his left, looks to his right) Hmm, the Clippers and Doc Rivers haven’t finalized that contract extension yet, have they? (breaks out magnifying glass)
In all seriousness, I could see it being Monty Williams, who was among the first batch of names tagged to the position when Jason Kidd was fired in late January. I could also see it being Becky Hammon as well, despite the report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski saying that she “isn’t considered a frontline candidate.” The combination of the significance of hiring the first female head coach in history and the glowing praise she’s earned from a mentor like Gregg Popovich and players from the Spurs as well as LeBron James shouldn’t be overlooked at this point in the process.
Another thing that shouldn’t be overlooked is the fact that she reportedly met with ownership in regards to their GM search last summer and as I’ve said previously wondered aloud on a few editions of Win in 6, the fact that the meeting occurred potentially around the time they were mulling firing Kidd has me suspicious that the triumvirate had another plan in mind this time last year.
LW: Budenholzer, which I am also fine with.
AM: On top of wanting him to be the coach, at this point I believe Budenholzer will get the job.
Outside of Bud, I do have a feeling that Monty Williams will get to the final stages of the decision-making process. He seems like a candidate perfectly capable of winning over a room in an interview, and his recent front office experience may add an interesting wrinkle to how he can pitch himself to an ownership group and how he expresses his vision for the franchise.
Next: Win in 6 Podcast #215: Considering coaching candidates
To stay on top of all of the twists and turns that may still be ahead in the coaching search, stick with us at Behind the Buck Pass.